We, with our love for pork, lag far behind the rest of Europe and consume very little beef (Lithuanians, for example, 30 kg per year, while the Irish consume 90 kg per person).

So about beef and its consumption in Lithuania. I was at a very interesting round table discussion at the Terrazza restaurant last week, after which I decided to start raising beef cattle myself, and really, this is what makes me want to shout or even scream out loud from the roof tops – let’s love and appreciate what grows in our meadows… And believe me, it produces the best quality beef you can find in the world. It is of such high quality that even the Swiss, looking around the neighboring countries that grow a lot of beef, realized that the most valuable meat would be grown in Lithuania and the Baltic meadows…

Oh, but about everything at the beginning, because there are so many questions and problems that I now decided to fight for the increase of beef consumption in Lithuania and even said that I would write a recipe book on that occasion. How did my mind get here? Well, yes: Lithuanian Nature Fund invited me to a seminar-discussion on responsible consumption promoting sustainable agriculture and beef raised on natural grasslands. Those who want to learn more will find the most information on the page of the Lithuanian Beef Cattle Breeders and Breeders Association.

Since this is an essay requiring a large treatise, I will try to explain to you as concisely as possible what and how. Beef cattle is a fairly new branch of the economy in Lithuania. But you’ve probably all heard various legends about how the best Lithuanian meat goes to Spain, or you’ve even seen broad-shouldered beef cattle, bulls and cows that graze here and there in the fertile meadows of Lithuania. I also have no doubt that those who do not care about what they put on their and their children’s plates, and eat meat, want it to be of high quality, have certainly heard, if not with two, then at least with one ear, how much better is naturally grazing and natural fodder, that is, the meat of an animal that eats meadow grass. But have you heard that by raising these impressive animals in this way, farmers also benefit nature? And by eating such meat, you are doing a service not only to yourself, but also to Lithuania, our homeland, its clones and green meadows, so that they live, are healthy and all ecosystems flourish… You will say that “oh we want, oh we use, but where do we get that beef or “oh it’s very expensive”… Yes, this is a more complex question, but I think that we should be interested, want, buy, and the demand will guarantee us the supply… And you can definitely get it: there are mobile farmers’ markets, there are one other store. It’s still a long way from good availability, of course, but we as consumers need to know what’s out there and demand and want to buy that beef. There won’t be a revolution, but drop by drop, you know, even a stone’s throw away…

So, my dear consumers and lovers of good food, let’s get up and use forks and knives to serve honest Lithuanian farmers, the nature of our homeland and ultimately our health. So I want to ask you a few things now. Do you eat beef? How do you choose it? What do you usually cook with it? Do you know where to get beef raised in Lithuanian meadows? In other words, share your experiences and experiences? Because really, where is the dog buried? Or that there is no good beef, or that you don’t know what to do with it? Is it too expensive? Is everyone vegan now?

I can say this: I also buy beef in supermarkets, (but I follow what is written, remember, I wrote about how one large supermarket supplies Lithuanian meat), and I also buy really excellent quality beef, really grown in Lithuania “Gegio Stalui” store in Užupy. Maybe tomorrow I will tell you about the Žemaitija-raised beef, aged sirloin steaks found there. And also, my dad, because he has friends who raise those popular Limousin bulls, brings me all kinds of hams.

For beef, of course, the type of muscle is very important. Because those muscles that are closer to the legs are tighter and tougher, and those on the back are already soft – they have not worked much, so they are delicious to fry quickly. And meat like ham, for example, already requires longer stewing and processing.

So, inspired by that discussion and new acquaintances, I returned home the same evening and rushed to make beef stew… and it turned out so tasty that I really, I think, would not embarrass the Association of Lithuanian Beef Cattle Breeders and Improvers.
In a word, the topic is worth developing, that’s what I’m going to do, but now share the specifics of your beef consumption, and I’ll remind you of some recipes with beef.

Source: www.beatosvirtuve.lt